Web Content

Along with a website that looks great, or more leads and sales, one of the top requests business owners and executives bring to us is a desire to stand out on Google and the other search engines. They aren’t concerned about search engine optimization (SEO) because they think it’s fascinating or enjoyable, but because they understand that earning a top search engine spot will help them to attract more customers.

That point is pretty self-evident, but it’s an important one to recognize. That’s because not every business owner is going to have the same ambitions, or the same level of commitment to promoting their company through search (or the internet in general). To get the most from your campaigns, creative team, and budget, you have to go into the process with the right ideas and expectations.

With that in mind, today we want to explore two different ways you might approach search engine optimization for your business website…

Philosophy #1: A Minimalist Approach to SEO

Some business owners want to benefit from search engine optimization, but aren’t willing to devote a lot of time or resources to the project. That’s understandable, and it can work so long as they hold the right expectations.

An experienced creative team can audit your website for technical problems, engage in a bit of keyword research to find out what your customers are searching for, and then do some on-site optimization. The likely result is that you’ll show up for specific search terms, particularly those related to your company name or geographic location.

If a lot of your business comes from local buyers or word-of-mouth advertising, that might be all you need. However, this sort of work isn’t likely to vote you to the top of Google’s rankings very often. To reach higher, you have to make a more consistent investment of time or money.

Philosophy #2: Aiming for the Top of Google’s Search Rankings

Just as some business owners want to do the bare minimum in terms of SEO, others want to shoot for the moon. They aspire to aim for a top three Google position for several different search terms and geographic areas.

To do so, they have to follow the same beginning steps as we outlined above. More attention will likely be paid to keyword research, but the basic initial plan is the same. The difference between the first philosophy and second, though, lies in the amount of subsequent work that needs to be done.

In order to truly dominate on Google, you can’t simply make some additions and upgrades to your website (as important as those steps are). If you really want customers coming to you again and again, you have to produce lots of relevant, high-quality content on a regular basis, develop a sales funnel, and get familiar with your web analytics. Additionally, you have to go back to those basic optimization steps again and again periodically to keep your website fresh.

You can perform a lot of these tasks yourself, but the bottom line is you’ll have to spend either time or money (and possibly a bit of both) if you want to blow the competition away on Google. Those investments pay off, but only if you follow through with them.

What Approach to SEO Works for You?

Now that we’ve laid out to different approaches to search engine optimization, ask yourself which one might be right for you. Are you more apt to optimize your site and post a few pieces of content infrequently, or to devote more time and resources to the project in hopes of getting bigger awards?

There is a bit of middle ground here, of course, and a talented creative team can help you make the most of a limited budget. However, if you are expecting to “do” SEO once and forget about it, then you should at least know where to prioritize your efforts and what to expect in return.

It takes a lot of time, work, and creativity to get your content marketing plan moving. That’s why it’s so painful to post something online and watch it go stale after a few days or weeks. Wouldn’t it be better to have your articles and posts keep generating views, shares, and leads for years to come?

Many business owners—not to mention professional copywriters—work to sidestep this problem by creating content that is “evergreen,” meaning that it stays in style for a long period of time. With a little thought and planning, you can do the same. Then, you won’t have to worry about watching your ideas fade after an early expiration date.

If that sounds good to you, let’s look at five ways you can create web content that lasts…